Summer Solstice
by Incapability
Summary: What do you think Enid will find out when she follows a mysterious person out into the forest in the middle of the night? UP FOR ADOPTION!
1. Default Chapter

A/N: I have recently received a review asking me to update this story. To be honest, I probably won't. I haven't looked into it for far too long, and I'm too busy with RL business to get back into it. So, if anyone is interested, send me a message and we'll talk about adopting it. It would be nice if you already had a vague idea of where you would take things and could outline them for me.

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**Summer Solstice**

There had always been something mystical about the night of summer solstice in Enid's

Opinion. Something secret. Perhaps it was because it wasn't celebrated at Cackle's Academy.

But Enid had always had the impression that there was something going on that night, something the students were not supposed to know about.

And thus, in her fourth and final year at school, Enid decided to find out about these occurrences. She didn't tell her friends, for she knew that they hadn't noticed anything, and she didn't want them to get into trouble. At least, that was what she told herself. In truth she wanted to do this on her own. She considered this her secret, and she had no desire to share it.

After curfew she hid in a corner near the school gate to watch it. And so she waited. And waited. Around midnight, when she already wanted to give up and go to bed, the school door opened and a dark, hooded figure came out. Enid could hardly control her excitement when she followed the mysterious person out into the forest.

Who could this be? She couldn't tell whether the person was tall, as she was bend into some kind of semi-crouch.

Could it be Miss Cackle, heading for a secret feast? Or Miss Bat, on her way to a mystic chanting?

After about 20 minutes of walking, when Enid's excitement was already cooling down, the figure reached a clearing and stopped, looking around as if to check whether she was being followed. Enid quickly hid behind a tree.

Believing herself unseen, the figure knelt down to light a fire, using wood that seemed to have been there before.

In the light of this fire, Enid could follow the persons every move.

She watched her taking out an ancient-looking knife, a crystal-goblet, a stone bowl that seemed to be covered in strange symbols, a small bottle that obviously contained water and a leather pouch. The last thing was a silver pentagramm. She poured some water into the goblet and filled the bowl with a white substance from the pouch. "Salt", Enid thought. Then the figure took of her hood – and Enid gasped in shock.

It was Miss Hardbroom.

Almost trance-like the teacher took some salt out of the bowl and threw it into the fire. "I am calling the soil. May all bad energies be banished. That's my will, and therefor it shall happen." While she spoke these words, she drew a pentagramm into the air.

These things Miss Hardbroom repeated with the elements water, fire and air. When she called the air, a wind came up that made her loose hair stream and that sent a shiver down Enid's spine. This could never be her terrifying form teacher. This could never be the same woman that would tell Miss Bat off for believing to hear voices. She seemed like a creature from

Another world.

With fascination Enid watched as Miss Hardbroom took the knife and held it in front of her face. What was she going to do?

Slowly, very slowly, Miss Hardbroom lowered the knife and raised her free hand. Enid held her breath – and felt a wave of relief when she saw that her teacher had merely cut of a few hairs. After watching them thoughtfully for a few moments, she threw them into the fire.

Not even in her dreams could Enid have imagined what she heard next.

"Oh goddess, give me the strength and the determination I need to go on with my life. Give me the ability to reduce the memories I have without letting them vanish. Give me the control over my emotions, m my thoughts and my words I need to maintain the illusions I created so long ago. Keep evil from those I care for and protect them from those who want to damage them.

I beg you, hold your hand over them, and give me the ability to protect them, for they shall not suffer like I suffered. Save them from the things I had to endure. They are young and innocent. They do not deserve being handed over to _her_.

You heard my pleads. I am asking you to help me fulfil my duty, my duty to save innocent children from being turned into someone like me. I do not want your help for myself, for I know that I cannot be saved. But have mercy for those who are innocent."

Enid could hardly believe her ears, or her eyes for that matter. Not only was Miss Hardbroom, the strictest teacher known to human kind, worshipping a heathen goddess, but she was lost and looking for help. There was no doubt what she had been talking about during her ritual – she wanted to save her students from people like Heckity Broomhead. What must that woman have done to her, Enid wondered, if she had devoted her life to fighting her, even if there was no direct confrontation.

The girl was too lost in her thoughts – after all, her whole view of Miss Hardbroom had just been shattered – to notice that her teacher had collected her things, put out the fire and started her way back. She hadn't even noticed that at some point during the ritual she had stepped out from behind the tree to get a better view, and so it took her a few moments to realise that she stood face to face with Miss Hardbroom.


	2. Chapter 2

After having known her form mistress for four years, Enid would have expected anything from shouting to hardly controlled anger and twitching eyelids, but never the calm, almost mask-like and emotionless expression Miss Hardbroom wore. Only her eyes were betraying her. The girl could see surprise and a slight hint of panic in them.

When Enid, after several minutes of staring, was just about to open her mouth in a desperate attempt to explain herself, the older woman suddenly spoke:" Well, Enid, I do not think that I will have to tell you that you are out of bounds here. But furthermore I do not think that this is the appropriate time to give students lines or detentions. Provided of course the fact that students keep certain things quiet." The night certainly was full of surprises. Who had ever heard of HB letting someone off the hook? This had to be really important to her.

"Miss, what I wanted to say is that … that … that I am terribly sorry. Of course I won't speak a word of it to anyone. And … and I'm so sorry for following you. I shouldn't have done that. But I just couldn't stop watching. I'm really sorry, and I deserve any punishment you might want to give me." Enid felt even more sorry than she had just said. Shame was burning inside her. She had had no right to watch her teacher, to disturb her during those private moments.

Slowly, almost anxiously, she gazed up to see that her teachers eyes were now just as calm as the rest of her face.

"Are you planning to stay out here all night, Enid? Because if that is the case, you will have to do so without me. Good night." And with these words, Miss Hardbromm continued to walk into the direction of the school.

Instinctually, Enid followed her, not wanting to be alone in the dark, and instinctually she stayed two steps behind, not daring to look at her teacher's face just now.

Thus, they marched back to the castle in silence. When they had reached the school gates, Miss Hardbroom stopped and turned around to face Enid. Her expression was now very serious. "Enid, did you understand what I was talking about out – out there?" - " I think you were that woman, that inspector, weren't you? You said something about protecting us from her. But why? She's not been here for ages!" The teachers face was now showing nothing but resignation. "That's it. She's coming back."

Disclaimer: Dont't own anything. Pity but true.

AN: The stiry didn't really turn out as I wanted it to, but some how I couldn't help it. Stupid characters never ask the writer how he or she wants the story. So it's all their fault if this chapter is stupid ...  
Anyway, corrections concerning my grammar, spelling or choice of words are more than welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

The night's events kept haunting Enid. For several days she could think of almost nothing else and became so quiet that her friends started to feel worried.

After every single potions lesson she was on the verge of approaching her teacher about it, but Miss Hardbroom's face was always so withdrawn that Enid did not dare speak to her even though it was itching her to learn more about the circumstances that had caused Broomhead's return to the academy. Never would she have admitted that she was also dreading to hear the reasons. For what could be bad enough to punish people with the presence of that old hag? Enid had been thinking about it for days, and she couldn't find anything worse than Millie's latest broomstick crash or Sibyll's most recent potions accident. But these things had happened before, numerous times, and surely that couldn't be enough of a reason for that plague to haunt them?

And while Enid kept guessing, the days passed. One day, about a week after the night of summer solstice, the girl suddenly noticed that her form mistress seemed unusually pale and distracted, and her heart sunk. Would she announce the dreaded news now? Would she finally give some reasons for the arrival of that unwelcome guest?

But when nothing had happened as the bell rang to announce the end of the lesson, Enid gathered all her courage and walked towards her teacher, her face determined.


	4. Chapter 4

Enid felt regret about her decision the moment she opened her mouth. "Miss, I noticed that …" But Miss Hardbroom cut her off immediately, and her voice was hardly more than a whisper, quivering with strain. "We agreed on keeping this quiet. If your memory needs to be refreshed, I shall gladly do so. It's up to you."

"I remember our deal, and I'll stick to it, but how exactly do you want to hide her from the students? And anyway, why is she coming here?"

"Do you really think I am telling you? And for all gods' sake, keep your voice down. It is not necessary for the whole school to know about this!" "But there has to be a reason!", Enid exclaimed, not bothering to be quiet. She noticed that HB's eyelid was dangerously close to twitching, which was always an alarming sign, but she didn't care. She was getting furious herself now, and had difficulties to stop herself from yelling.

"There has to be a reason why they're sending that old hag! You can't hide her forever! And unless you're telling me now, I'll shout until the whole school knows about this. It's up to you, as you said so precisely."

Enid could practically see her teacher's mind working. Should she tell the girl or should she take the risk that Enid told the whole school about what she had seen in the forest? After a minute or so Miss Hardbroom seemed to have made a decision. After closing her eyes briefly, she looked directly into Enid's eyes. Her face was very serious. "Are you sure that you want to know?" The girl's expression was answer enough. "Very well then. Follow me."


	5. Chapter 5

Enid could hardly follow Miss Hardbroom's hurried pace as they stormed out of the potions lab.

"Where – ", but once more, Miss Hardbroom cut her off. "You shall see when we arrive. Quiet now."

After a few minutes of walking, Enid saw where they were going. In front of them was the staff room. "Miss, what are we doing here?" But instead of an answer, her teacher made a sign that told her to be quiet.

She then opened the door and peered inside. As the room seemed to be empty, she opened the door completely and beckoned the puzzled girl inside.

"Are you going to tell me now?", Enid wanted to know.

"No, I won't. I told you that I am not allowed." HB seemed slightly pissed. "So why did you bring me here?"

"Well, mainly to shut you up." Enid had already opened her mouth to give a furious answer when she noticed the tiny twitching in the corner of her teacher's mouth. "I brought you in here so you can hear the things yourself."The was the little twitching again."But you said that the students were not supposed to know." "That is exactly why they won't know you're here."

How could they not know she was there? Was HB planning to put an invisibility charm on her?

Miss Hardbroom answered Enid's unspoken question with a meaningful look towards the staff room cupboard.

Disclaimer: As always: not mine, wish it was, bla bla bla.

A/N: God, this is so stupid. But I've got a little man in my ear that keeps telling me to write this stuff down. Andhe won't shut up. So blame him, not me. The faults you see are his faults, not mine, but I'll be grateful for any corrections anyway, because then I can tell him how stupid he is and that he better should shut up instead of going on people's nerves. I excuse myself in his name because he never would.


	6. Chapter 6

The whole situation was almost laughable. She was cramped up in this cupboard (which according to Miss Hardbroom was a regular residence of Miss Bats), waiting for the other teachers and that Broomhead woman to arrive, intending to eavesdrop on a conference that was most likely top secret. And she had been told to do so by Miss Hardbroom in person. Enid had to surpress the urge to laugh out loud. Miss Hardbroom had told her to break the rules! It was as if she was in a bizarre dream. And she was not sure whether she wanted to wake up, because she had suddenly remembered the look of tense determination she had seen on her teacher's face out in the woods, the air of bad foreboding that had surrounded her almost visible since then, and the helplessness she exuded now, while she walked around the staff room, arranging files that were already arranged. After a few minutes she found nothing more to do and started pacing the room like a caged tiger.

While Enid watched her teacher and pondered upon her thoughts, Miss Hardbroom suddenly froze. The girl soon realised the cause for it.

Footsteps echoed from the hall, drawing closer and closer.

The door opened, and in came Miss Cackle, Miss Bat and Miss Drill, followed by the one person whose presence Miss Hardbroom had been dreading. With a disapproving glare, Heckity Broomhead herself strode into the staffroom.

Disclaimer: The usuall.  
A/N: As always, corrections more than welcome. The little man just told me that his name was Horace. Slimy little git. Won't tell me how the story will continue or why Broomhead is there. I could kill him for that!


	7. Chapter 7

They were coming. Constance could hear their footsteps. Everything inside her stiffened at the thought of the confrontation that was to come. She wasn't ready to face her. She would never be.

Horror flooded her mind as she remembered her nemesis' first visit, two years ago. Back then she had thought that she was rid of her for good.

And when her troubled mind had just settled down, when she had finally managed to lay the demons of the past to rest, the old hag had returned to haunt her. Constance had thought that she was above letting herself terrorise by herat that time.

How very wrong she had been.

Broomhead's sight had caused the old, ice cold pain in her stomach, the familiar urge to hyperventilate. She had been reduced to nothing but fear.

Fear of what _she_ had to object again. For there was bound to be something. There always was.

It had been more luck than anything that nothing of consequence had happened back then.

Her short time as headmistress had been even more trying on Constance. She had felt like a schoolgirl again. Broomhead's thirst for control had, well, increased, to say the least. Constance had pitied Mildred for being the old woman's favourite victim that time, but at the same time she had been ashamed for feeling such a relief that it was not her, like it had been all the times before.

When it had all become too much, Constance had finally called Miss Cackle back. And again she had hoped to be rid of her.

But now the staff room door opened and in came the curse of her life.

Heckity Broomhead.

Constance took a deep breath and turned to face her fear.


	8. Chapter 8

Her face was as disapproving as ever. Her wandering gaze seemed to judge everything it perceived. When she was done with the examination of the room, her eyes rested on Constance, and she forced her mouth into a shadow of what even Miss Bat recognised as a very false smile.  
"Constance. It is so good to see you."  
Constance's smile was, if possible, even more forced.  
She gave a curt nod instead of an answer, not trusting her voice enough to speak.  
"Well, now that we're done with the pleasant part, right into business. Take a seat."  
Miss Cackle clearly was too shocked to disobey, and even Constance felt only a hint of displeasure at being ordered around in _her _staff room. Stiffly walking in Miss Cackle's direction, she intended to take her usual position behind the headmistresses chair, but Broomhead called her back. "I would like you to sit next to me, Constance. Your comment on this matter is quite important, and I refuse to speak to you if you insist on hiding behind that chair!"

Constance had barely opened her mouth to answer when Broomhead interrupted her. "Come here. _Now_."

Slowly, the slightly trembling deputy head turned and walked towards the indicated chair as if she were on her way to the gallows.

When she was seated, Broomhead began to talk immediately. "The reason I am here may not be completely obvious to you, as Miss Cackle said earlier, but I can assure you that the matter requires action.  
Surely you have noticed the increasing number of students from non-witch-backgrounds over the last thirty years." Blocking the protest Miss Cackle was about to give, she continued. "Of course, that alone would be no cause for concern.  
The problem is that these girls have been raised by christian families. The parents of your current students were the first to have extensive contact with these children. And noticing the difference in their religions, they were ashamed of their parents serving the old goddess. They reacted in the way any ashamed children would. They denied the goddess, and as the years passed, they forgot her. That means they did not tell their children about the old ways, which are almost forgotten by now.

Or could you name any of your girls that still serves the old powers?  
As far as I am informed, not even the staff performs the rituals any more.  
Constance here is the only one of whom I know for sure that she still serves the goddess, because I myself taught her to do so."

"And what exactly do you want us to do about it? We can't force out girls to maintain the old ways if they don't want to." Miss Cackle was clearly annoyed by this conversation. Miss Bat seemed to be far away, perhaps in her cupboard, and Miss Drill looked a s if the whole topic was a big joke. But she was the only one who thought it funny, for now Miss Hardbroom spoke, her face very pale, but with a remarkably firm voice.

"Well, headmistress, the girls cannot refuse what they do not know."  
""That's exactly the point", Broomhead interrupted. "The girls need to be taught. They need to learn about the old ways, about the ways their power comes from, or they will never truly respect it."

"But who could teach them?" Miss Cackle still didn't agree with this. Something fishy was going on.

Never would she have guessed the answer Broomhead gave her.

"Well, as Constane, who is the only current staff member that would be fit to do that job, is already very busy with her double duty as potions teacher and deputy headmistress, I don't think it would be wise to burden her with this task as well."

"But is she doesn't do it, who will?"

Broomhead looked at Miss Cackle like someone carrying a bomb, and with a very self-satisfied smile she gave the answer.

"Me."


	9. Chapter 9

Constance felt like falling into a deep, black hole that denied her the mercy of hitting the ground and fainting.  
She was staying! She would be around her all the time!  
It would be like being back at university, her every step was most likely to be watched and judged. Constance highly doubted that Miss Cackle's presence would make the slightest difference in Broomhead's behaviour.

At the strange smile the older woman sent her, the distressed deputy head was quite sure she had received a serious punch in the stomach that had knocked the air out of her lungs.  
It could mean nothing but trouble if _she _looked at someone that way. Having Broomhead looking at herself like that sent shivers down Constance's spine.  
She noticed that she was about to panic; her breath was speeding up and her head was spinning. Even thinking about what Broomhead's constant presence would do to her in the future was more than she could bear. Her memory was already being flooded with the events of the past.

Constance was so lost in her painful thoughts that she didn't notice the heated discussion Miss Cackle tried to start, nor did she see the official-looking document Broomhead showed instead of an answer.  
She was far too upset to notice the other teachers standing and leaving, with only Broomhead remaining in her seat.  
The thing that brought Constance back to reality was the sound of the closing door, which made her realise that she was trapped.  
In a desperate attempt at flight she rose and headed for the door, but didn't reach it.

"Constance, my dear, why don't you stay for a little chat?"


	10. Chapter 10

Throughout the whole conversation Enid paid rapt attention to each and every word that was spoken. She was astounded to hear that Miss Cackle had actually swallowed Broomhead's fairy tale, along with Miss Bat and Miss Drill. Enid couldn't tell about Miss Hardbroom though, because she could not see her face, but she doubted that, had she been able to look at it, she would have extract any information from her teacher's perfectly controlled expression.

During the whole conversation Enid had sensed a strange air about Broomhead, as if she were that had a secret and was bursting to tell it, but still enjoyed knowing things the others didn't.

If there was a thing Enid could not stand it was a secret. She was hoping against hope that the old woman would tell Miss Hardbroom something that might allow to draw some conclusions.

It was obvious that the younger woman intended to make this "chat" as short as possible, and it was just as obvious that she would rather be anywhere on earth than in this room with this person, for her whole body had stiffened when Broomhead had called out for her.

Now she turned around, her face a carefully controlled mask of politeness, and said: "If I must, Miss Broomhead. But I'd like to let you know that due to this little get-together my time is quite limited, so if you would please make it short and get to the point quickly, I would be more than grateful."

For some moments the words hung in the air like a challenge. Then Broomhead motioned towards the chairs. "Very well. Let's get started then."


	11. Chapter 11

Constance swallowed and motioned towards the chair, feeling like a child that had done something wrong and knew it would be told off. Only she did not know what she was about to be told off for, and she was not sure whether she wanted to know.

Stiffly, she sat down opposite the older woman and tried to give her voice a business-like tone. She failed miserably.  
"So what did you want to talk about?"  
Broomhead sat in her chair, leaning back and eyeing her with amusement. Before she spoke, she gave a soft chuckle. "You didn't believe a word of it, did you?"

The truth was, she did not know whether she had believed her, for she had been too appalled to think about anything. But she would never admit that in front of Broomhead.

She relaxed in her chair and gave a little smile. Broomhead was not the only one who could put up a show!   
"Of course not. The whole thing lacks any sense or reason.  
What I would really like to know is why you are here."

Again, Broomhead smiled like a Cheshire cat.  
"That, my dear, you will find out when the time is right. And now I must ask you to excuse me, I have lessons to prepare."

With these words, she got up and left, leaving behind a potions teacher that looked as though she were at the verge of tears.


End file.
